The Southern Harmony And Musical Companion Review

Release Date: May 12, 1992Label: Def AmericanGenres: Rock & Roll, Hard Rock, Southern Rock, American Trad RockNumber Of Tracks: 10
The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion is the best expression of the Crowes' ability to take a classic, tried-and-true sound and make it their own.

The Southern Harmony And Musical Companion
Reviewed by:
guitaluva15, on april 30, 2008 1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Sound: The opening riff of "Sting Me" kicks off the album, and lets you know that The Black Crowes are a down and dirty southern rock and roll band. On this album, they mix many genres of music including blues, country, and good old rock and roll. It reached number 1 on the Billboard Charts, but that don't matter too much because to The Black Crowes, it's all about the music. This is probally my favorite album to listen to while driving. Stand out tracks are the ballad, "Thorn In My Pride", the bluesy "Bad Luck blue Eyes Goodbye", and my favorite, the Bob Marley cover, "Time Will Tell". Also, on this album there are some very good, soulful, female, back up singers. They sort of hold all the songs together. And you can't ignore Marc Fords legendary riffs. // 10

Lyrics: The lyrics seem to heavily reflect on love or having your heart broken. The lyrics seem very deep and meaningful and often they'll give me chills because they're lyrics everyone can relate to. There's not a whole lot of "hey what does that mean?" The Crowes are very down to earth and I think that is a great quality to have for a rock and roll band. Chris Robinson has a great voice and it really emphasizes the words. And to qoute Sting Me "If you feel like a riot, then don't you deny it!" // 10

Overall Impression: This album's sound is very similar to Exile on Main St., but this album blows it away. Like I said before, my favorite track is Time Will Tell. The only thing I dislike about this album is that the songs are a little long, but besides that, it's a great overall album. It's by far my favorite Black Crowes album. If your just getting into the band, go buy this album as soon as you can! If it were lost or stolen, I would without a doubt replace it! // 10

The Southern Harmony And Musical Companion
Reviewed by:
BrainDamage, on february 23, 2010 0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Sound: It's almost hard to believe that this album was recorded by the same band that put out Shake Your Money Maker just two years before. Where Shake Your Money Maker may seem to be a little on the sterile side in both composition and sound mix, Southern Harmony is astoundingly raw and full of life. Rich's riffs are fresh and inventive and the rhythm section of Johnny Colt and Steve Gorman hold down the fort exceptionally well. While the whole band was clearly at the top of their game, the two new additions at the time- Marc Ford on lead guitar and Eddie Harsch on piano/keyboards -helped add a depth to the music that separated this band from being just another Stones/Faces ripoff. Ford's solos in particular are absolutely blistering, whether it be the frenzied explosion of sound in Sting Me or the laid back free-form improvisations of Bad Luck Blue Eyes Goodbye, the lead guitar work on this album still remains as the best Marc Ford has ever put to record in my opinion, with the Black Crowes or otherwise. // 10

Lyrics: On this album, Chris Robinson proved what was hinted at on Shake Your Money Maker- that he was indeed a very good lyricist. Lyrical highlights include Thorn In My Pride, Bad Luck Blue Eyes Goodbye, and most importantly, Sometimes Salvation. In addition to the strength of the lyrics, Chris Robinson's vocals on this album are absolutely top notch. The one vocal track that can be considered sub-par if you purely at the clarity and strength of the vocals would be Sometimes Salvation, but it's that hoarseness paired with a stellar delivery that actually make it my favorite vocal performance on this album. // 10

Overall Impression: The Southern Harmony and Musical Commpanion established The Black Crowes as a legitimate rock and roll band and provided a sound that the band ran with over the next three albums. Compared to the rest of their catalog, this album is unquestionably among the top, and a strong case can be made as to why it is indeed the best album the Crowes have ever put out. Nearly every track is an instant Black Crowes classic, with My Morning Song in particular being one of those songs that defines this band's sound. Time Will Tell is the only exception, but I feel that even that song has it's place on this album, serving as a sort of cool-down after the sonic fury that preceded it. // 10

Agreed. This is by far the band's best album. Not a duff track on it. Whenever I play this, and there's someone whose never heard it before, they always say "Who's this? It's really good". Most underrated track: No Speak No Slave - that's a bad-ass riff!